Rotary feeding mechanism.



No. 693,|58. Patnted Feb. Il, |902'.

A.'c. noEBucK a F. McmLLAm ROTARY IEEDINGA MECHANISM. y (Application med sept. ai 1901.) (no Model.)

Willllllllllll I 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVAI-I C. ROEBUCK AND FRANK MCINIILLAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNORS TO ENTERPRISE VENDING MACHINE COMPANY, A COR- PORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ROTARY FEEDING MECHANISM.

SPEGIFECATION forming part of Letters Patent o. 693,158, dated. February 1.1, 1902. Application tiled September 6, 1901. Serial No. 74,492. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it' may concern:

Be it known that we, ALVAH C. ROEBUOK and FRANK MCMILLAN, citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Feeding Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a rotary measuring or feeding mechanis'mforV loose granular bodies,and more particularly'to that form of such mechanism employed in @pipacontrolled apparatus for the deliveryof peanuts and other like loose granular commodities. 1

The present improvement has for its object to provide a simple and efficient mechanism for such uses in which the clogging and stoppage of the moving member of the mechanism is prevented in a very perfect manner and the operation of the apparatus rendered easy, certain, and convenient, all as will hereinafter` more fully appear and be more particularly pointed out in the claims. We attain such objects by the construction of partsillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Eigurerfl is a vertical sectional elevationat line a: tv, Fig. 2, of a feeding mechanism e111-, bodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same; Fig. 3, a fragmentary horizontal section at line ai Fig. l; Fig. 4, a fragmentary vertical section of a modilication.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, l represents av hoppery forming the lower end of the containing-chamber for the loose granular body to be measured or dispensed.

2 is a rotary measuring-wheel arranged beneath the hopper l and comprising a transverse carrying-shaft 3, circular end heads 4, anda series ot' radial blades 5, which divide the Wheel 2 into an endless series of angular measuring-chambers, that in an intermittent rotation of the measuring-wheel are adapted to be brought serially into communication with the lower and open end of the hopper l to fill with a given quantity of the loose granular body and carry the same around in a circular path until a receiving-chute i is reached, and into the openl mouth of which the contents of the particular angular measuring-chamberis discharged. Such chute (i constitutes the delivery end ofthe apparatus and may be of any usual and suitable construction which the particular use of the apparatus may suggest.

7 is a ratchet-wheel secured to one end of the shaft 3 and forming a part of the usual operating mechanism by which intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the rotary measui'ing-wheell2.

In the construction so far described and which is usual and common to the present type of feeding mechanisms forgranular substances, the circular end heads 4 of the before-described measuring-wheel 2 will -turn in close contact with the circular housings or flanges S on thevusnal side plates or extensions of the hopper l, andwhich side plates are adapted to connect the hopper portion l and the delivery-chute G together in fixed relation to each other.

9 is a segmental wall at one side of the chamber, with which the outer ends of the radial .blades are adapted to move in close relation in their movement into an active or receiving position with relationto the lower or open end of the hopper 2. A v

l0 -represents guard plates or wings arrangedin the bottom opening of the main hopper l, and which in our preferred construction, as illustrated in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, will be arranged in opposed relation in the end walls of the hopper. Such plates or wings areof a curved form, so as to have a close relation to the radial blades 4 in 'their movement past the same, and have a beveled shape, so as to form a tapering throat between them, which narrows in the direction in which the aforesaid measuring-wheel 2 moves. As so constructed and arranged the said plates or wings l0 are adapted to roll or level off and remove the surplus or projecting pieces or granules of the material from the particular measuring-chamber that is passing in a filled condition under such plates or wings on its way from the containing-hopper 1 to the discharge-chute 6, and thus avoid to a great extent the danger of a clogging up of the mechanism by such surplus or projecting particles or granules.

11 is a yielding throat-piece which in, our preferred construction, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, is of a width equal to the narrow portion of the throat formed by the guard-plates 10, above described, and is arranged between a pair of vertical members 16 16, carried by the stationary housing of the mechanism. Said throat-piece lis pivoted at its lower end by means of a pivot-pin 17 betweenthc members 16 16, with its free upper and inner end l adapted to rest against the side of the measuring-wheel 2. p

12 is a spring one end of which is attached to a suitable bracket on one .of the vert-ical members 16 and the other end to a projecting heel 13 on the throat-piece, the arrangement being such as to hold the upper end of the said throat-piece in yielding contact with the periphery of the measuring-wheel 2.

The throat-piece lis preferably of a wid th equal to the Width of the narrow end of the heretofore-described tapering throat formed by the guard-plate or Wings l0, with its free end having adjacent relation to such narrow end of said tapering throat, and as so arranged is adapted to be forced outward against the elasticity of the spring 12, with the pressure of any projecting/particles or granules in the chambers of the feeding-wheel 2 which have not been removed by the aforesaid guard'- wings 10, and thus admit of a free rotative movement of the. measuring-wheel without anyliability to clogging or binding due to the presence ofsuch projecting particles, and which would be the case were the said throatpiece of a fixed or stationary nature. I

A14 is a breast-piece of a width equal to the throat-piece 11 aforesaid, one face of which is of a segmental form and adapted to rest against the periphery of the measuring-wheel to retain the granular substance contained within the measuring-chambers of said wheel in position until the discharge-chute 6 is reached. In the present improvement the breast-piece 14; is made yielding, so as to move away from the periphery of the measuringwheel in the presence of any projecting particles or granules in the measuring-chambers thereof, and such yielding nature may beimparted to the breast-piece by forming the same of spring metal and attaching it at its upper end to said throat-piece 11, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or the said breast-piece 14 may be in the form of a block pivoted at its upper end to'he upper end'of the throatf piece 11 byapivot-pin 18 and provided with a springA 15 to hold it in its normal position in contact with the periphery of the measuring-Wheel. Independent movement of said breast-piece 14 is limited by a cross-pin 19, carried by the throat-piece 11, engaging in an elongated slot 2O in the breast-piece, as illustrated inFig. 4.

Having thus fully described our said invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a feeding mechanism for measuring quantities of granular material, thecombination of a supply-hopper, a receiving-chamber, an interposed'feeding-wheel having peripheral pockets or chambers, a tapering and curved guard-plate at one yend ofthe bottom opening of the supply-hopper to constitute a tapering throat for` thesame, and a yielding throat-piece arranged at the narrow end of said tapering-throatto yieldingly contact with that portion of the length of the feedingwheel left uncovered by the guard-plate, substantially as set forth.

2. In a feeding mechanism for measured lquantities of granular material, the combiof the length of the feeding-wheel left uncovered by the guard-plates, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof witness our hands this 28thday of August, 1901, at Chicago, Illilnois.

ALVAH C. ROEBUCK. FRANK MCMILLAN.

In presence of ROBERT BURNS,

HENRY A. No'rT.

IOO 

